Block molding machine



Oct. 21, 1952 v. BURKARD ET AL 2,614,308

BLOCK MOLDING MACHINE Filed April 20, 1949 4 Sheets-Shet 1 IN V EN TORS V/croa BUR/(6RD AND Don/nu: J. SHEPHERD Oct. 21, 1952 v. BURKARD ET AL BLOCK MOLDING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 20, 1949 INVENTORS V/c TOR- BURKARD 3? Down 1,0 I, JHEPHE/PD V1444: $W

Jr-raemer Oct. 21, 1952 v. BURKARD ET AL BLOCK MOLDING MACHINE 4Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 20, 1949 WWI till] INVENTORJ A l mrok flak/MR0 DONALD JHEPHERD M F. W

'4 rra Ell/7 Patented Oct. 21, 1952 BLOCK MOLDING MAGHINE Victor Burkard, Barton, andDonald J. Sheph erd, Buffalo, N. Y.; said Shepherd assignor to said Burkard Application April 20, 1949-, Serial No. 88,502 3 Claims. (or. 25-41) The present invention relates to construction block molding equipment and, particularly, to a form of mold equipment suitable for the manufacture of concrete blocks and the like, of .a design wherein each block comprises inner and outer panels connected to one another solely by reinforcing ties, usually comprising metal rods or the like.

The prime object of the invention is a simple and practicable form of blockmaking system suitable for manufacture of blocks of the foregoing character. 7 Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from a further perusal of the specification and the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof.

In the drawing Fig. l is a rearelevational view of a machine embodying the invention, showing the mold head and mold in their elevated position with part of a mold wall broken away, and with a tie-rod support assembly with the rods thereon in readiness for being raised into the mold.

Fig. 1a is a fragmentary view on line aa of Fig. 1.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but with the mold lowered onto a pallet in readiness tore- ,ceive mold charges and with the. head slightly lowered.

Fig. 3v is a plan view of the machine.

Fig. 4 is a plan View of a tie-rod support assembly with tie rods arranged thereon and the support arranged against the mold elevating rods.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of a fragment of the mold assembly, illustrating one of. the tie-rod holding devices before engagement with a rod.

Fig. ,6 is an enlarged sectional elevation taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Fig. '7 is a fragment of the mold on line 11 of Fig. 6.

Fig". 8 is an enlarged view in elevation of a fragment of the machine embodying the block take-eu't .Inechanism with certain parts broken away, showing the take-out mechanism swung clear of the machine top [2 and with a block B shownthereon. l

Fig. 9 is ayiew of theparts shown in Fig. 8 as seen when looking in the dresses of arrows 9-5 ,Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a perspective v'ew of ahead assembly used. inthe formation'ofcorner blocks. a

Fig. 11 is a top pla n. view of a; mold assembly, used in the formationof corner blocks, with parts brokenaway. 1-2 is a sectional view taken on line l2-.l2 of Fig. 3. I M V Y Referring in detail to the drawings, themachine parts aregrouped about a main frame or support ll having atop 12. The .top I2 has a rectangular openingabove which is arranged a v 2 pallet support l4 (Figs. 1 and 12) which rests on springs, such as springs 2| and 22, at its four respective corners. Each of the springs 2| and 22, and the others (not shown) at its top is surrounded by a cup, such as cup 25, on the underside of support l4, and has its bottom end surrounded by a similar cup 26 projecting from a supporting bracket, such as bracket 24, secured to the underside of top [2. Depending from pallet support l4 are bearing supports 21 and 28 of a mechanical vibrator comprising a shaft 29 (Figs. 1 and 2) adapted for rotation by a motor 30. Shaft 29 is unbalanced by an eccentrically mounted weight 3! which causes the shaft 29 and pallet support l4 to vibrate. A foot switch provides a ready means of closing the circuit of motor 30 at will.

A wall mold 4B is carried by rods 4| and 42 passing through suitable bearings in frame 1 I, and at their bottom ends bridged by a supporting member 43. For ease of operation. the combined weight of mold 40, rods 4| and 42, and member 43 are almost counterbalanced by a weight 44 attached to one end of a cable 45 which passes over pulleys 46 (Fig. la) and 41 (Figs. 1 and 2) and has its other end attached to member 43. Raising the mold 4B is effected by means of a cable passing over a pulley 48 and having one end secured to member 43 and the other end attached to the free end of an arm 56 carried by a shaft 51, adapted to be turned by an operating arm attached to shaft 51 and adapted to be held in the position shown by a stop 6| over which the operator springs arm 60.

A mold head assembly includes separate head units 49 and 50 (Figs. 3 and 6) bridged by suppor'ting bars 5| and 52- (Figs. 1-3 and 6) from which extend posts 53 and 54 projected into sockets 58 and 59 of brackets 62 and 63 secured to the top endsof vertical rods 64 and 65 passing through suitable bearings, such as bearings 66 and 6'! carried by frame ll. Each bearing, such as 66, has threaded into it a bushing 68 attached to a sleeve 69 which is engaged by bracket 62 to stop the downward movementof head assembly in the desired position with re spect to mold 49. Rod 64 intermediate its ends passes through a clamp "I0 carried on one end of a toggle member H, the other end of which is pivotally connected to an actuating bar 12-, to one end of a member 1.3 similar to H, and to one end of a link 8|. The opposite end of member 13 is pivotally connected to frame ll. Rod 65 is supported in like fashion by members [1 and 18 pivotally attached to the other end of the actuating bar 12. The other end or li'hkB'l is connected to a hand lever 80. By movement of lever to the position shown in Fig. l, the pivots of members ll, 13, and I1, and 18 are brought into a vertical alignment, thus bringing the mold head assembly to its uppermost position. The

head assembly may of course be lowered by swinging lever 80 leftward.

A hopper 85 supported on a track 86 is slidable into vertical register with the mold to charge the same by gravity through suitable openings in the bottom of the hopper.

The wall mold 40 is divided into separate panel mold compartments SI and 92 (Fig. 6) by inner walls 93 and 94, each provided with slots, such as slots 95, 96, and 9! (Fig. 1), to accommodate tie rods, such as, for example, the rods IOI, I02, and I03 (see Figs. 1, 4, 5, 6, and 12). Walls 93 and 94, and the chamber I therebetween, may be said to constitute the core of the mold. Arranged within chamber I00 is a tie-rod clamping mechanism including a member I slidably arranged between rails I06 and I07. Member I05 has upright branches comprising part of assemblies I I0, III, and H2 for clamping tie rods, such as rods IOI, I02, and I03, for example, against the portions of mold 4!) bounding slots 95, 95, and 91 occupied by such rods.

The clamping assemblies are similar to one another and therefore a description of one will suffice. Assembly III (Figs. 5 and 12) includes the upright branch II3 having a U clip I I4 arranged thereabout resiliently held in place by a spring I I5 surrounding a cap screw I 56 passing through an aperture in clip H4 and threaded into member H3. The open ends of clip H4 are grooved as at I24 to partly encircle a tie rod, such as rod I02, to be engaged thereby. A link I2I (Figs. 7 and 12) couples member I05 to an eccentric I20 adapted to be turned by a lever I22 to bring the clamping assemblies from the position in which assembly III is shown in Fig. 5 to the position in which the assemblies H0, III, and H2 are shown in Fig. 12 into engagement with rods such as rods IOI, I02, and I03 occupying the slots in mold 40 thus resiliently holding such rods against the portions of the mold walls bounding slots 95, 96, and 91.

The tie rods, such as rods IOI, I02, and I03, are positioned within the mold 40 by the assistance of a tie-rod support I25 (Figs. 1 and 4) having a suitable handle I35. This support is provided with pairs of upright members I28, I21, and I28 (Fig. 4) channeled to receive the rods and each having a transverse member, such as member I 30, for holding the end portions of the rods in a horizontal plane. Support I25 is provided with grooves I3I and I32 adapted to engage about mold support rods 4| and 42, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4. With the support I25 in the position shown, rods thereon are in vertical register with the slots 95, 9S, and 97, so that an operator can readily seize handle I35 and elevate the support until the rods occupy the closed ends of .the slots. Lever I22 may then be moved to clamp the rods in the mold after which the support I25 is removed and a pallet I3 arranged on the pallet support I4. 1

The corner mold I5 (Fig. 11) contains clamping assemblies similar to those used in the wall mold, the main difference being that the eccentric member I20 thereof is inside the mold core and has its handle I22 located along the side rather than at the end thereof. A suitable corner mold pallet (not shown) and a head assembly, such as the assembly I6 (Fig. are used with the corner mold. Obviously, mold l5 and the head assembly I6 are interchangeable with mold 50 and its head assembly.

To remove a formed block and its supporting pallet from pallet support I4, a block take-out arm I39 is hinged on a vertical pin I40. The free end of arm I39 (Fig. 8) and an upstanding extension I4I thereof have a vertical passage through which extends a shaft I42. The lower end of shaft I42 is secured to a horizontal bar I43 (Figs. 3, 8 and 9) provided with bayonet members I44 for introduction between a pallet I3 and pallet support I4. Bar I43 is further provided at its rear with a bale I45 to which is pivotally connected one end of a link I46 whose other end is pivotally connected at a point near pin I40, thus better enabling bar I43 to be moved along a substantially straight line path to position members I44 under a pallet. The upper end of shaft I42 is eccentrically anchored to a cam I41 by a pivot pin I48. Integral with cam I46 is a handle I49 which can be depressed to lift the pallet off pallet support I4. In the lifted position bar I43 holds the mold pallet clear of the pallet support so that the pallet, with a block thereon, can be moved clear of its position of formation.

Operation The operation is as follows: With the mold 40 in its up position, as shown in Fig. 1, the handle I35 of the rod support I25 is seized and elevated to position the tie rods IOII03 in the mold. Lever I22 is then operated to lock the tie rods in position and support I25 withdrawn. Placement of a pallet I3 on pallet support I4 may either precede or follow the tie rod inserting operation, as preferred by the operator.

With a pallet and the tie rods in place, the operator seizes lever 60, springs it clear of stop BI, and permits the mold 40 to be lowered onto pallet 53. The hopper 85 is then shifted over the mold to charge the same, and is then returned to its initial position. The operator can, at this stage or later, as desired, restore lever I22 to transfer support of the tie rods to the charges. Also, the operator may, before return of the hopper, assist the charging if desirable by momentarily stepping on foot pedal 35 to set the vibrator into action.

After return of the hopper 85 to its initial position, lever 60 is shifted to permit the mold head units 49 and 50 to rest on the top of the mold charges. If lever I22 was not previously restored, it is restored at this time, since rods I 0 I-I 03 will be sustained in position by the mold charges. Foot switch 35 is now actuated until the charges are compacted to the extent necessary to bring the head bracket 62 and 63 into engagement with their tubular stops.

To remove the block from mold 40, arm 60 is returned to its initial position. During the beginning of this movement the head, owing to its weight, remains stationary and functions to hold the block on the pallet. The block is thus broken away from the mold walls before any movement of the head is effected. After slight upward movement, the core of mold 40 engages the head member bars 5| and 52 and thus lifts the head assembly with it. If desired, a second operator can take over the head-lifting operation by means of lever after the mold has been lifted sufficiently to break the block from the mold, although it is possible to fully restore the head by means of lever 50.

Corner blocks are made in the same fashion as are wall blocks, it being merely necessary to change the mold head and mold assembly and to use a pallet (not shown) appropriate for corner blocks. A modified support (not shown), similar to support I25, is also employed in installing the rods in the corner block.

What is claimed is:

1. In a concrete blockmaking apparatus, a mold having two laterally spaced panel-forming compartments and having opposed walls slotted for the receipt of tie members whose ends are to be embedded in panels cast in said compartments, tie-engaging means for locking tie members passing through said slotted walls in fixed relation to said mold, and means for thereafter loading and compacting charging of concrete in said mold chambers and about such portions of the tie members as are arranged therein, said tie-engaging means being operable at will to free the tie members and formed panels for removal as a unit from said mold.

2. In a concrete blockmaking apparatus such as defined by claim 1 in which the charge-compacting means includes a mold-closing member, with associated means for lowering it into engagement with the top surface of mold charges within the mold, means for raising the mold relative to said member a limited distance and for thereafter lifting said member and mold clear of the cast block.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 782,230 Finger Feb. 14, 1905 1,448,911 Bruckner Mar. 20, 1923 2,359,214 George Sept. 26, 1944 2,492,415 Coates et a1 Dec. 27, 1949 

